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[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Jong-guk] Tottenham has named van de Ven’s solo strike against Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League its Goal of the Year.
Tottenham announced on the 23rd that van de Ven was the recipient of the award. In November at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, during the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League Phase 4 match with Copenhagen, van de Ven scored Tottenham’s third goal 19 minutes into the second half, helping the side to a 4-0 win. He picked up a pass from Palhinha near Tottenham’s penalty area and launched into a solo run. Van de Ven slipped past five Copenhagen players, carried the ball from his own penalty area into the opposition box, and finished with a left-footed strike from the left side of the area. The effort drew comparisons to Son Heung-min’s Puskas Award–winning goal.
Tottenham said fans selected van de Ven’s stunning Copenhagen goal as the season’s best, noting that he collected the ball deep inside his own half, drove through the defense and unleashed a powerful finish. The club added the strike bore similarities to Son’s 2019 goal against Burnley and that van de Ven covered 67.7 meters — the longest dribble-to-goal recorded in Champions League history.
On the goal, van de Ven said he originally intended to take on just one player, but then saw three closing in and realized he could beat them in a single move. One Copenhagen defender was still between him and the goal, with Muani to that player’s right. A pass wasn’t an option, so he kept running toward goal. When the defender stayed central, van de Ven picked up speed, broke through and had to finish — otherwise it would have been wasted. He added he knew he’d done something special and thought it could be a Puskas Award candidate, noting it felt similar to Sonny’s Puskas-winning strike. He also said he told Son about it and that Son joked his own goal was better, even sending a text.
Van de Ven shared the congratulatory message he received from Son after the match. He said Son texted calling it an unbelievable goal and said he couldn’t believe how van de Ven created space and finished. Van de Ven told Son he wanted to score a goal like his, and was pleased that the wish came true.
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